Sixty-year-old jockey Perry Ouzts was planning to visit Santa Anita as a spectator during a vacation with his wife, but instead landed his first mount at the California track in the Oct. 25 Autumn Miss Stakes.

Southern California race fans will get a rare look at a Queen's Plate winner when Lexie Lou takes on a full field of 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 25 on the Santa Anita turf.

The $200,000 Miller Lite Cradle Stakes, run on the River Downs' turf course for the first time this year to position itself as a prep for the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, may not have attracted any major shippers this time. But it could have produced at least one contender for the $1-million race when favored Old Man Buck turned in a measured one-length victory Sept. 3.<br />

Veteran jockey Perry Ouzts returns to racing on Tuesday at Turfway Park almost 11 months to the day after an accident on the track left him with a compound fracture of the right forearm and five fractured vertebrae.

River Downs, which will open for its 80th season Friday, has installed a new racing surface on its main track that is expected to better withstand the rigors of live racing during the summer months and require less daily maintenance.

Turfway Park, which wrapped up its winter/spring meet April 1, reported across-the-board business increases even though it lost nine full cards and parts of six others during the session that began Jan. 1.